Distributed ledger systems (DLSs), which can also be referred to as consensus networks, and/or blockchain networks, enable participating entities to securely, and immutably store data. DLSs are commonly referred to as blockchain networks without referencing any particular user case. DLS technology creates a transparent chain-of-records by allowing all parties to a transaction to verify what will be entered onto a ledger, and prevent any party from changing the ledger after the transaction is entered. Each transaction or block of transactions is transmitted to all the participants in the blockchain network and is verified by each participant node before adding to the blockchain.
With the advancement of digital technologies, online digital content can often be reproduced, edited, recorded, and distributed by Internet users. In some cases, such uses can violate copyright of the creator or owner of the content. New technologies can also make management and protection of copyrighted content difficult. For example, such technologies can enable copies of copyrighted content to be rapidly produced and spread to large numbers of users, which can significantly affect the economic interests of the copyright holder.
DLS technology creates a secure, time-stamped, and immutable chain-of-records, making it well-suited to protect against copyright infringement. For example, a distributed ledger containing the copyright holder's information and update history relating to the copyrighted content can be used to determine ownership or infringement of the content.
However, when only a portion of copyrighted content is used by unauthorized users, it can be difficult to identify that the used portion is part of a copyrighted work. Therefore, it would be desirable to embed copyright information in the background, foreground, or the content itself, such that copyrighted material can be more easily identified.